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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. club — for golf
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mark — a grade
  5. rule — government
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. drill — a practice
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. present — a gift
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. club — for dancing
  13. present — there
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. drill — army training
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. drill — the tool
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. club — a group
  22. mark — a trace
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. present — the time now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com